Seymour Waldegrave Soole, was the eldest son of Laura Sophia Soole and the late Rev. S. H. Soole, of 3, Castle Crescent, Reading.

His is a registered war grave but bears a private memorial, number 7627.

His death was reported in the Reading Standard, the newspaper for which he had worked.
Death of Gunner S. W. Soole

“To his journalist friends the death of gunner Seymore Waldegrave Soole, RHA, came as a great shock. Just three weeks ago the deceased joined the colours, he was taken ill at Portsmouth and died suddenly on Saturday of cerebro-menigitis. The deceased aged 40, was the eldest son of the late Rev. Seymour H. Soole, vicar of Greyfriars’, Reading and grandson of the late Martin Hope Sutton, founder of the firm Sutton and Sons. For over ten years Mr. Soole had been on the literary staff of the “Reading Standard”. He was educated at Bradfield college and at Trinity College, Cambridge, graduating with Honours. He performed his duties with courtesy and unostentation, and was greatly esteemed by his journalistic colleagues in Reading”.

Then follows a list of the mourners.

“The grave was lined with ivy and moss, entwined with white a salmon cyclamen, and the laurel wreath and sheaf of violets were lowered with the coffin, which had been covered with a Union Jack”.

Ronald Stuart Salmon was the son of Mr Edward Henry and Mrs Annie Salmon, of Castle Hill, Reading. He is commemorated on the family grave, number 8459, on a small scroll stone. The 1911 census indicates that the family were living at 14, Bulmershe Road, Reading. The family comprised Ronald’s mother who was a widow and head of the family, Hilda his older sister and younger brother Cyril. Ronald’s occupation is given as a publishing clerk. Hismother is recorded as having given birth the twelve children, seven of whom were still living. In 1901 the family were living at 109, Castle Street from where Edward Salmon ran his butchers business. At that time the family comprised six children, Cyril was then four months old, his mother was 44 years old and she had a mothers help and a servant to assist her in running the home.

A Letter from his Commanding Officer to Ronald’s mother is reported in the Reading Standard of June 12th 1915. “My company was taking part in an attack on a German position –– Your son was, when I last saw him, devotedly attending to some of his wounded comrades, several of whom he brought to safety, and he met a noble death whilst actually engaged in the work of rescue. He is much missed by B Company, all ranks of which unite in offering you our sympathy in your loss”.

The report continues “The letter speaks for itself and shows that the qualities of manliness, courage and self-sacrifice inborn in the British soldier were possessed in large measure by Rifleman Salmon”.

Roland Salmon was an old scholar of Reading School, and after finishing his education was in the office of Mr Blake Allnatt, chartered accountant of Reading. Salmon had worked for three years in the Barclays Bank in Wycombe. He enlisted on September 3rd 1914 in the Surrey Rifles and was drafted to the front on March 15th 1915. Ronald Salmon had a, not untypically, short time in active service. His Division 47th (2nd London) fought their first battle, the Battle of Aubers, 9 May 1915, which included an attack on Fromelles and the Rue du Bois. Ronald was killed on the closing day of the next battle, the Battle of Festubert which had opened on May 15th. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the La Touret Memorial to the Missing, panel 45. He was aged 21.

Hereward Pattison Sadler, was the only son of William and Jane Sadler, of ‘Oakdene’ 4, Hillside Gardens, Wallington, Surrey, late ‘Plassey’, Holmes Road, Reading.

The 1911 census indicates that the family had also lived at 42, Hamilton Road. William Sadler was then the head teacher of an elementary school, sister Ethel is recorded as a teacher for the County council her father for the Borough council. Hereward was still at school. An elder sister not living at home in 1911 is recorded as a teacher in 1901 census.

Hereward died of wounds on 19th July 1916, aged 20. This is the day that the battalion was making an attack on on the village of Longueval and Delville Wood, part of the Somme offensive. Many men in the battalion were killed in the bloody battle by artillery and machine gun fire. It is possible that Hereward Sadler was injured and removed to a place of safety rather than being killed immediately during the action. The wood became known as ‘Devil’s wood’ by the men who fought there. Another Reading man, Samuel Robert Collier who is also remembered in the Old Reading Cemetery was in the same battalion and lost his life in the fighting.

Hereward Sadler is buried in the Carnoy Military Cemetery. Location K. 32